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Heart Dysfunction (heart + dysfunction)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Combination of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels and Non-Invasive Hemodynamic Parameters in Diagnosing Congestive Heart Failure in the Emergency Department

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, Issue 4 2004
Erin Barcarse BS
This study aimed to assess whether the combination of a B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level with various noninvasive hemodynamic parameters can help physicians more quickly and accurately diagnose congestive heart failure and determine the type of left ventricular dysfunction present in patients presenting to the emergency department with dyspnea. Subjects were 98 men (aged 64.57±1.23 years) that presented to the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Hemodynamic parameters were measured using impedance cardiography, and BNP levels were quantified using a rapid immunoassay. All patients with a BNP <100 pg/mL (n=37) had no evidence of congestive heart failure 97% of the time. In those with a BNP >100 pg/mL (601 ±55 pg/mL; n=61), a cardiac index of 2.6 L/min/m2 is 65% sensitive and 88% specific in determining systolic dysfunction. In patients with a BNP >100 pg/mL, a multivariate model consisting of noninvasive hemodynamic measurements was able to predict cardiac deaths, readmissions, and emergency department visits within 90 days with 83% accuracy. The authors conclude that, in patients presenting to an emergency department with dyspnea, the addition of impedance cardiography measurements to BNP level measurements will more effectively diagnose congestive heart failure and determine both the type of heart dysfunction and the severity of illness. [source]

Salutary effects of Corydalis yanhusuo extract on cardiac hypertrophy due to pressure overload in rats

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 8 2007
Chengping Wen
We have evaluated the effects of an alcohol extract from the rhizome of Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. (CY), a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal herb, on pressure-overloaded cardiac hypertrophy induced by transverse abdominal aorta constriction (TAAC) in rats. Rats were given vehicle or CY extract (200 or 50 mg kg,1 per day) from the second week after induction of pressure overload, for a period of 7 weeks. Haemodynamic parameters, relative heart weight and myocyte cross-sectional area were measured in each group. We also estimated left ventricular (LV) collagen volume fraction (CVF) using Masson trichrome staining, and type I collagen expression by Western blot assay. Chronic TAAC caused notable cardiac hypertrophy and heart dysfunction. Significant collagen deposition and greater type I collagen expression were found in model control rats. These changes were not significantly reversed after treatment with 50 mgkg,1 CY, whereas 200 mgkg,1 significantly improved heart function and prevented cardiac hypertrophy, with parallel reductions in myocardial fibrosis, as evidenced by reduced LV CVF and reduced levels of type I collagen. In conclusion, chronic treatment of rats with CY extract attenuated development of cardiac hypertrophy. [source]

Oxidative Stress as the Leading Cause of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Diabetics

CARDIOVASCULAR THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2006
Clara Di Filippo
ABSTRACT The risk factors, such as hypertension and metabolic syndrome, tend to promote heart pathology. These risk factors can aggravate concomitant heart insults as well. Diabetes mellitus represents one of the most important risk factors for the development of heart pathology. By itself it represents a source of vascular and heart dysfunction through formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can compromise the recovery from cardiovascular diseases. This review focuses on the evidence that cellular oxidative stress is the leading cause of the worst outcome of myocardial infarction (MI) in diabetics. Hyperglycemia is viewed in this article as the primary mediator of a cascade of heart damaging events, starting from ROS formation and leading to myocardial ischemia, inflammation and death of myocytes. This article also provides insights into why diverse therapeutic interventions, which have in common the ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, can impede or delay the onset of complications of myocardial infarction in diabetic patients. [source]

PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
C Cieniewski-Bernard
SUMMARY 1Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in western countries. The molecular mechanisms responsible for heart dysfunction are still largely unknown, except in cases of genetic defects or alteration of genes and proteins. 2The publication of genome sequences from humans and other species has demonstrated the complexity of biology, including the finding that one gene does not encode for only one protein but for several, due to mRNA splicing and post-translational modifications. 3Proteomic analysis can provide an overall understanding of changes in the levels of protein expression. Differential proteomics is a powerful tool for improving our understanding of integrated biochemical responses. The main techniques used are two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-gel) and Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (SELDI-TOF) to separate proteins associated with mass spectrometry. Bioinformatic tools make it possible to compare protein profiles obtained from diverse biological samples. 4The combination of these approaches has proved to be particularly interesting for studying cardiovascular diseases and thereby improving our understanding of the mechanisms involved and identifying new biochemical factors and biomarkers involved in these diseases. [source]